Mayo Clinic researchers have determined the lifetime risk of developing seven of the approximately 100 autoimmune diseases. First author Cynthia Crowson says, "We estimated the lifetime risk for rheumatic disease for both sexes, something that had not been done before--separately or collectively."

     The adult lifetime risk in the United States of having some kind of rheumatic inflammatory autoimmune disease is 8.4 percent for women and 5.1 percent for men. Based on year 2000 population figures, one woman in 12 and one man in 20 will develop one of the conditions in their lifetime.

     The authors consider that a substantial risk and say that their findings should encourage more research on the value of early diagnosis and intervention for people with increased genetic risk of arthritis and the other diseases.

     Considering the diseases studied in women and men, the following figures reflect lifetime risk for the respective diseases (first listing, women; second listing, men): rheumatoid arthritis, 3.6 percent, or 1 in 28, and 1.7 percent, or 1 in 59; polymyalgia rheumatica, 2.4 percent and 1.7 percent; systemic lupus erythematosus, .9 percent and .2 percent; giant cell arteritis, 1.0 percent and .5 percent; psoriatic arthritis, .5 percent and .6 percent; primary Sjögren's syndrome, .8 percent and .04 percent; and ankylosing spondylitis, .1 percent and .6 percent.

     The authors hope that the new figures will help in counseling patients and in fundraising efforts.

--Source: Excerpted from "Researchers Determine Lifetime Risk of Adult Rheumatoid Arthritis," Gregory Jackson, Mayo Clinic, via Newswise, January 5, 2011